


A different order

by AgentPatheticHasBeenRockstar



Series: Supernatural, actually [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Sweaters, Holidays, Ugly Holiday Sweaters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:47:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27904714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentPatheticHasBeenRockstar/pseuds/AgentPatheticHasBeenRockstar
Summary: The festive atmosphere is finally making its way in the bunker. Sam decides to involve everyone in an unsual Christmas photoshoot, and to leave a tangible mark in the Men of Letters bunker. Ugly Christmas sweaters, brandy glasses and a new softness will lead Dean to a new way to look at his family, while waiting for you to get at the bunker.Words: 2649
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester
Series: Supernatural, actually [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2040042
Kudos: 7





	A different order

**Author's Note:**

> Second part of the SPN Christmas Bingo!  
> Each story can be read on its own, but they are part of a series.
> 
> You can find me on Tumblr, here walkingaline.tumblr.com/ or search for walkingaline.  
> Beta reading done by the amazing Raspberrymama (Check her works, or find her on Tumblr!).
> 
> If you enjoy the story, I hope you'll leave a kudos or a comment!

Sam walks into the kitchen, bringing a box along with him. He sets it on the table, and Jack immediately goes to check its content. Castiel contents himself with a strange look. When Dean turns around, wearing an apron and in the middle of cooking pancakes for all, he points at the box with the spatula he's holding.

“No. Take that thing off the table, Sammy. Breakfast first, research later.”

“It's not research, actually. I was looking for... Christmas decorations and things like that, and look what I've found”.

“Pictures!” Jack, as usual, looks thrilled for a second, before looking at Sam with a confused expression. “Wait. The bunker is filled with pictures. Why are these important?”

Sam smiles and points at the frame in Jack's hand. “Look closely. These are Christmas pictures. I was thinking that maybe, since it's the first time we celebrate properly... we might continue the tradition?”

Dean thinks about it for a moment, then scoffs lightly, more touched than what he lets on. He's well aware that Sam has been keeping up with him and the hunting life, and that he kissed goodbye the idea of a normal life to stick with him... but this doesn't mean he was okay with it. The idea of being part of something, the whole “legacy” thing obviously means something to him. To belong somewhere, for people like them, is a luxury and a privilege beyond their wildest dreams. If a stupid photoshoot is what his little brother wants, a stupid photoshoot is what he's going to get. Naturally, this doesn't mean he's going to get it easily.

“I don't know, Sam... do you really want to be up a wall with Cuthberth Sinclair's pals?”

“That's the whole point, man. We might leave proof of what we did.” Sam's smile could light up the room, right now. Castiel looks at him, curious.

“... meaning what?”

“Come on. Can you imagine? A... a Man of Letters picture with an angel, a nephilim, and four hunters?”

“... you want to flip them a proper bird, huh?”

Sam is practically beaming while he nods. “Why, don't you?”

The consensus about the idea of Sam seems to be unanimous, until Dean does a quick headcount. “... wait, four hunters?”

“Yeah, I... I invited Eileen. Did you hear from Y/N?”

“Yep, she should be here tonight. I'll call her later. Eileen? Is she okay with spending your first Christmas with us?”

Sam gives Dean a little, awkward smile, and fishes a picture from the box. There's Sinclair in a corner of it. Sam carefully opens the frame, takes out the picture, and folds it so that “Magnus” isn't visible, before setting the picture back in the frame.

“There, much better!” he murmurs with an approving smile. Castiel looks at Sam, cautious.

“Last time you asked me to be in a picture with you both, things didn't go well.”

Dean answers before Sam can even think about it. “Another good reason to take a new one, right?”

Jack curiously looks at Dean, but he shakes his head. The kid is going to hear that story about Jo and Ellen another time, maybe after some drinks, and in a very different mood. Dean spins on his heels, turns off the flame under the pan, and grabs the handle of it.

“Alright children, settle down. It's time for breakfast. Sam, if you complain about bacon, I swear...”

Sam raises his hands in surrender. He knows better than fighting Dean over breakfast. “I'll settle with cereals, thanks. Can I have some eggs, though?”

“... yeah, you can.”

  
  


After breakfast, the four men spend quite a long time studying the old pictures of the order before finally agreeing on the idea for the picture. They're going to use their federal agents suits, but wearing Christmas sweaters underneath them. Dean insists on optional cigars and glasses of cognac, because “that's what gentlemen drink”, even if he doesn't answer how he knows that, despite being asked several times.

Castiel even offers to fly somewhere to find anything missing, but Jack forbids him, siding with Dean.

“We must follow tradition! We'll go buying the things we need at the mall, like people usually do.”

Castiel has seen crowds around Christmas, and that's not a memory he revisits happily. “Jack, tradition is long, complicated, and surely it doesn't include mystical beings such as we are.”

“Then we'll make a new one!”

“I don't think you get the point of traditions, Jack.”

Dean laughs at the deadpan tone of Castiel, then stands up. He looks at Sam and starts giving orders to everyone.

“Cas, you go and look for the brandy and the cigars. Jack, you're on the sweaters. Sammy... you and I go to look for the glasses. They must be somewhere around...”

“Uh, actually... I was thinking to go look for the camera.” Sam interrupts Dean, who tilts his head a bit.

“... what do you mean the camera? We have phones, and we have the digital camera we got a couple of years ago.”

Sam stutters a bit, trying to explain his idea. If Dean didn't tease him about it so far, he surely will now. “Yeah, but I was thinking of using the original camera, too. There's a dark room in here, I was curious to try my hand with that.”

Surprising Sam once again, Dean offers him just a small sigh and a bright smile. “Anything to keep your little geeky heart content, Sammy. Let's start fixing things, come on. As soon as Eileen and Y/N are here, we'll take the picture.”

  
  


“Do you think it looks Christmas-sy enough?”

Jack holds a red sweater with a reindeer embroidered on it and turns it so that Cas can look at it. Castiel sighs, opens his mouth to say something, then looks at Jack's expectant expression and resolves to sigh.

“It surely delivers clearly the theme, yes.”

“Great! Let's get this one is for Dean, then, I've heard it's good for people to get in the right mood.”

“I'm not sure Dean will agree... or if he's in the right mood for... anything. Ever.” Cas murmurs while following Jack to another stand of terrible sweaters. The idea of Dean wearing one of those is incredibly unlikely... and yet, somehow, endearing. 

He would never do it if he wasn't ready to be given Hell about it... or perhaps he's just defensive of that tradition? He never mentioned a particular fondness for that clothing piece, but it wouldn't be the first thing he missed about the first human he saved from Hell. Just as he's starting to think about how things changed more in the last twelve years than since the dawn of creation, Jack's voice tears him away from his thoughts.

“Then it will be up to us to put in a good mood. You think Sam would like a sweater with a tree? He's very tall, it might be a good match.”

With another pained sigh, Castiel nods and understands that he will have to keep a closer look on Jack, and learn how to deal with an overly Christmas-enthusiast child. New world, new challenges.

“You know, it might be a good idea to tone it down. We don’t...”

“Cas, look at those!”

The thrilled shout of Jack in seeing the sweaters with little lights in them almost makes Cas feeling nostalgic of the Apocalypse. At least he knew where the danger came from, how to deal with it, and the rules to engage. A shopping mall in the days before Christmas knows no rules, and that is somehow unnerving.

  
  


“Sammy! Get your ass over here!” Dean shouts, prompting Sam to pop his head through the door frame.

“What?”

All Sam sees is Dean's legs, the lower part of his torso, and one of his hands, waving behind him, holding a small crystal glass. “... you think these are good for brandy?”

“... no, those are to taste whiskey.”

Dean pulls his head out from the depths of the cupboard, looking at Sam with a skeptical expression. “Bullshit. What... how can you tell?”

“You asked me, why you... look. They're small, you see? For a smaller quantity, and also, less space on the base to... you know what? Never mind”, he lets go, already recognizing the question rising in Dean's eyes.

“When did you learn about this stuff?”

“I don't remember, but I thought it could be useful. It happened that we had to go undercover at parties and stuff, and a server who knows the glasses is far more believable”.

“... you are just so damn smart. Any luck with the camera?” Dean has a sort of proud smile dancing on his lips, even if he tries to sound as snarky as possible.

“I was just checking it. The lenses are a bit dusted, but I can clean them. Everything else... seems ok. Whatever spells Magnus placed on this place... they kept things working perfectly, no exceptions.”

“Yeah, well... I ain't thanking the son of a bitch.”

Sam scoffs, thinking about their far too close call with the master of spells. Another experience he's very happy to archive under the “never again” file. Dean is sticking his head inside the cabinet, ignoring the sinister creak of the little stool under his feet. Sam picks it up almost immediately.

“Dean...”

Sam is cut short by the act of catching a glass from Dean's hands. If he's aware to have interrupted, he doesn't show it. “Eight glasses are enough?”

“Eight? Why? It's the two of us, Cas, Y/N and Eileen.”

“You want to leave Jack out?” the way Dean's voice echoes inside the cabinet almost makes Sam laugh, but he needs to stay serious.

“Of course I want to leave him out. He's three, Dean!”

Dean hands Sam a few more glasses, before coming out from the cupboard and down the stool holding a couple more. He then gives Sam a sassy look.

“He's also the most powerful being in the universe. He slayed two archangels, countless angels, and rendered powerless God itself. I doubt a glass of cognac is going to do him any harm.”

“Perhaps you have a point. Anyway, why eight? Even counting Jack, it's just six of us.”

“Nah. With Y/N around, Crowley is going to be here.”

“... you think?”

“I know. Watch it happen.” Dean nods resolutely, ignoring the bemused expression of Sam before going on. “They've been together, you know that, right?”

Sam's jaw drops and he almost drops the glasses, making Dean laugh. Judging by the expression on his face, with raised eyebrows and open mouth, he didn't know.

“What?”

“Yep. It was... while Lucifer was loose, a bit after the Vince Vincente's thing. They were hunting together, apparently, and got drunk enough to finally put up with their awkward thing.”

“That's... that's new.”

“Well, no, not exactly. Anyway, I'm willing to bet twenty bucks that we won't get Crowley out of our hair until after Christmas.”

“I'm sure that she knows better. I see your twenty.”

“Thirty if they make out or have sex.”

Sam laughs, already feeling thirty dollars in his pockets. Plus, Dean has no idea of the bets placed on him by Sam, Eileen and you.

“I see your thirty.”

  
  


A very exhausted Castiel and a thrilled Jack walk through the door of the bunker with several bags of stuff. They've bought the Christmas sweaters, a few baubles for the tree that is somehow still missing, an unholy and definitely unhealthy amount of Christmas cookies, and anything else that somehow managed to inspire a vague Christmas feeling in Jack.

Dean takes the bags from Castiel's hands, smiling at him with a tender expression.

“You look exhausted.”

“I feel exhausted. Redoing Heaven was draining, but at least there were no teenagers around.”

Dean laughs and pats Castiel's shoulder, trying to offer him some comfort. The angel studies him, fascinated by the way Dean's lips curve upward in a smile and listening to him.

“Well, at least Jack is... well, I don't know what he is, but I don't think he'll ever go through that. Come on, let's go see what you've bought.”

“Oh, God...” Cas groans, anticipating the protests from both Sam and Dean.

Instead, not one of the brothers seems annoyed by the obnoxiously bright choices of Jack. Whatever changed in them, Cas wishes it stays like this. He's absolutely baffled when Dean picks up the sweater with Rudolph the reindeer - an America's favourite, apparently - and turns it so that Sam can see it with a delighted expression.

“Look at this, Sammy! Oh, God, I must have this.”

Jack turns to Cas with the most smug expression he's ever sported. “I told you he'd like it! Sam, check yours out!”

About ten minutes later, when everyone has put on his Christmas sweater, they all meet in the war room, wearing them under their fed suits. Dean chuckles and walks over to Castiel, fixing his tie, ignoring the bright red sweater he’s wearing underneath the dress coat.

“Lookin’ good, man.”

“I thought we decided to look like the Men of Letters.”

“We don't need to look like them, Cas. We are Men of Letters. We indulge Sammy here, but we do things our own way. Here, you look... great.”

Sam and Jack exchange an amused look, while Castiel and Dean share one of their long, dramatically and ridiculously intense gazes. Sam clears his throat and calls for their attention.

“Dean, why don't you call Y/N to see where she is?”

Grumbling and tearing his stare away from Castiel's eyes, Dean nods. He's still surprised about the way everything changed. He could swear to know Cas in every single way, and yet he feels like he's discovering a completely new person. Not being at war is strange.  _ Pleasant. _

He's still trying to adjust to that. He never felt authorized to have anything like that. He tried to bury every memory of the few months during which he allowed himself to believe that something other from hunting was possible.

Freedom might also mean a chance to explore all that he ever denied to himself. Leaving behind the past, the expectations he so tirelessly tried to satisfy might be the hardest thing he's ever done... but Castiel challenged Heaven's orders after obeying for millions of years. In a heartbeat, one of the most fearsome warriors of God decided to disobey his very nature, and fight alongside humanity. Once again, Castiel is giving him courage and purpose, and he doesn't even know it.

Dean smiles and fishes his phone from his pocket, dialling your number.

When he goes back to the war room after the call, he stops for a second, taking in the sight of the room. Sam is teaching Jack how to keep the glass in his hand, while Castiel is curiously studying the cigars he bought, making the puzzled expression he usually exhibits when fiddling around mundane stuff. When Jack puts on his Santa's hat, Dean laughs and steps closer to the group.

“Alright guys, she's not picking up. I guess she'll be here shortly. How about Eileen?”

“She's on her way. I guess she'll be here in a couple of hours.” Sam answers with a smile. He always smiles, more or less unconsciously, while speaking of Eileen. Dean grins, decided not to waste a chance to tease his little brother.

“... well, I'd keep that sweater to welcome her here, if I were you. Green suits you!”

“Get bent, Dean.”

“Language!” Cas intervenes, hinting at Jack.

“Oh, I've heard much worse from Dean, Cas. Like that time he spilled coffee on his pc and it froze on the Bust...”

Before he can finish, Dean shouts at him. “Jack! That wasn't supposed to come out!” Dean panics and opts for a quick retreat to the kitchen, deciding to find comfort in some leftover pie while waiting for you and Eileen to finally join them for dinner.

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE, DO NOT COPY OR REPOST this work or parts of it.


End file.
